ATV Florida Forum

Sorry to say, but I have just got off the phone with the Hamilton County Sheriffs dept, who told me that a new ordinance was just introduced making it illegal to ride in the river bed.

She told me that they are going to be handing out warnings first. If you get caught after being warned it is a misdemeanor.

You may want to check this yourselves.
 

That sucks, for the people that does not know this is the riverbed in Jasper.

Unfreakingbelievable

Yes it does.

We went riding there today anyhow and saw a couple of deputies drive by, but they did not stop and say anything to us.

I was there and saw multiple cops on 41 but none of them bothered to stop

I hope it stays like that, but according to the cops we spoke to today, it is going to change - very soon.

That stinks..

I sure hope we can make the Dec. 3rd ride! And the new rules aren't enforced by then.

This is the full scoop.

Myself and my nephews were heading down to the riverbed today (sun). We stopped for gas on sr6 at the s&s gas station. The clerk asked us where we were going to ride, I told her the riverbed and she told me that several deputies had been in the store this week and mentioned to her that a new ordinance had been passed on monday making it a misdemeanor to ride there.

We went down there anyway to see what was going on. Everyone was still riding so I called up the sheriff on my cell phone, they told me that it was true and they were intending to warn people first, then start arresting repeat offenders.

Nothing may ever come of this, or they could start handing out warnings and/or tickets tomorrow, I have no idea. All I know is I am going to keep riding there until someone tells me (in person) something different.

People have been enjoying that river bed since the horse and buggy days, it's a shame they're taking it away from the public. Just another big brother telling us how, when, & where. Wish I had some money to fight it.

From what they said, the biggest problem was not people riding in the bed, but up the banks and trespassing. Normal - few spoiling it for the many.

I do know that you cannot park on the right of way. That has always been illegal. You have to pull down the embankment and under or around the bridge area.

No, this new ordinance is not relating to the parking.

 :lecture.gif I guess we need more atv  protesters,At jasper court house this monday.

 I hope alot people know about alapaha river going down hill.

  >:( That really suck I guess the good old boys took it all in.

  ;) I hope somebody comes out idea put more atv trails riding areas in our area.

I'm sorry about atv riders in that area I guess they can't ride free no more. :'(

I wish more people get chance make
their own  backyard atv parks In the lake city
and live oak areas.
I know they a selling some chunks of land
right in my backyard 300feet away from me.
It's on hughes rd off 164st heading  west to
almost cr349 thats in mcalpin area.Well it's  on
right hand side traveling west on 164st.
But I have seen redneck hunters going in there
on sats and sundays.It must be deer season out there.


I hope alot atv people protest buy out
the alapaha river bed.
Well i understand they are not enough places  to
ride in state of florida.Thats
pretty dang sad.I wish somebody start their own 
atv radio talk show on about atvs.
I hope freedom fights so hard and keep the atvs
free to ride their own trails again. :)




thanks,
amhighlander  8)

This really sucks. Guess I will probably make another trip or so out there to see for myself. I'll ride till I get my warning. Hard to see how they could make it illegal to ride on Public land of that type. There is possibility it could be a bunch of hype to keep the numbers down. ;)

You could possibly on to something there. If you call them and they tell you this then it keeps the numbers of riders from there. They may be telling you that just so you don't come.

I think that you guys are right.  because when I drove by there last sunday I litterally passed a cop while i was driving over the overpass

Well I plan on taking a afternoon off hunting while I'm in Ga. and go check it out myself. I will call back what I see.

Here's map i draw out and they are  some nice
right of ways  on us129 south of live oak over by near
dairy farms and i have seen yellow z400 one day riding there
and i saw a cop and didn't do nothing.And they are some nice
right of ways east of tayorville and I have seen old man
on atvs riding on honda foremans one day
and i have seen one morning on westside of tayorville
kids on atvs and people with walking horses on right of ways.
I know in my area you can ride on right of ways
here and on areas on 164st and 137th drive
 and county don't even mowing them for past 10years so far.

A very big right of way is south of high springs and
going to newberry thats one largest right of ways
i have seen so far.

Click on map to make it larger.
 

thanks,
amhighlander 8)

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You should do late night group rides  in river bed.
It's pitch black where I live at and you can see milky way
over here during summer months are better here.

Let me know what happens tommrrow or next day after that.
Keep us posted on the alapaha river bed you can ride there or not.


thanks,
amhighlander 8)

Highlander, do you ever ride or just talk about it. Do you have a way to check it out since your not very far from there. You should be our North Florida check out person.

I'm only about 28miles south of jasper.
I'm over near Peac0ck springs area about  4miles from there and mcalpin
bp gas station is about 4miles to there.Well I only go valdosta ga once in great
while when travel on I75 and seeing the alapaha river bed on
I75 thats one way i check it out how wet or dry it is. :wink.gif :Approve.gif
Well i'm planing getting a used atv sometime
next year or during early winter months next year. :drive.gif


In about two or 3years  I should moving over by chipley area
I don't know where at.Somewhere around in the northwest florida area. :D


I know in my area here mcalpin
we don't know where anying good riding areas in mcalpin area :'(.Just places where i used to ride at with my old kart I use to have long time ago. 8)


But I have seen alapaha river bed in the gainesville newspaper back 3years ago.
It was on july 4th weekend they ride on river banks.But thats how i know about it.But pics are same sand dirt.But one day i will ride there if they don't change rules their. :lecture.gif :king.gif
I think people should have right to ride there atvs in dry river beds and right ways or on dirt roads i won't even complain it's not worth it,too much problems more worry  about in real world.If they don't do shoot guns at each other or ride up on in river banks in peoples land areas.I know they use to do it down in south florida they used to shoot each other they do that in poor negiborhoods down in  miami and hollywood areas long time ago they did.I know goverment is wasting alot of  our taxs dollers on bull crap like banning atvs on our good riding areas.
They should built more atv freeride wood tracks or trails in alot
areas in florida.And limted less ohv riding rules
on dry river beds,beachs,dirt roads in state of florida.



thanks.
amhighlander 8)

ps:keep us updated if anybody that living
down at the alapaha river bed or if
somebody living near area there.
Keep us posted on it.

 :)

I have a map that covers live oak and lake city areas
and the 4counties in north florida areas.

My best bet stay with atvs is

on I75 exit 460  cr4 going west to town called west lake
and go  south on cr751 and you should see alapaha river bed on both sides.
Or stay away from hwy 41 and south of that stay near I75 area.

IF that happens with new rules on banning atvs.
That will be my best choice to ride in another alapaha river bed area.

We were going to ride the river today and we called the sheriff to see if they were still just giving out warnings .

They said they were giving out warnings last week and citations this week, suffice to say we did not bother going.

Between the hunters at Osceola and the cops at the Alapaha, my quad is looking like a big waste of money.

I hope you fine out soon about
alapaha river bed soon.

Well keep us updated on it. :)

You read  this topic on here.
I know one person is piss off and they should have right to ride there >:(.
But read it you understand. :)

http://www.atvoutdoors.net/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11539

I live about 15mns from alapaha river, we haven't been down there to see if it is true or not. BUt, we are goin to let things cool down for now an then attack the river again an see if anything happens. I did stop a wildlife Ranger friday an he told me that they are goin to start policing the riverbed an put up signs. But, if you ever rode the river an ever been in hamilton county you can count the sheriffs on your hand. They don't have the man power an time to keep someone down there all the time. I talk to one of my county boys last week an he say this happens all the time, just to scare people off. It cools down then people ride, then they bring it up to scare them an then it rains floods an drys an we ride...hahahahaha. But, I will check it out an see an let everyone know. But I live on Cr249 in live oak fl, if you take it out of town past the inspection station an go under brigde on that road you have to travel a lil ways on the bank to go down in river to ride but it is quit there an no way for any rangers or sheriffs to see a car under that bridge an more room than off of 41.

FYI: http://www.atvflorida.com/atvnews-121305.shtml (http://www.atvflorida.com/atvnews-121305.shtml)

 :(

I'm sorry about bad news.

I know alot people need to do
open more riding places on backyard parks even here
in mcalpin area  or over by chipley in panahandle.I know in two
or 3years i'll be moving there and it's about hour drive to panama city.

I email dirtwheels magzine about it and try to warn the dw fans out there.

I know somebody might get ideal one day opening up big atv track.And limit some the rules off.

Defeinitely sucks about Alapaha.  Its in today's paper.

I have heard about them making Kirby pits a riding area.

Have  you try go to georgia
 to ride alapaha river bed south of statenville.
Somewhere on 135.I don't know out of state have less rules.
I have seen in valdosta alot people with atvs
on trucks one time at sams club. :-\ :o

 ;) Try check that out if anybody that lives out to east of valdosta ga
area.Or have somebody check it out for us.Please post back on here.

Thanks,
amhighlander 8)

Hi AH

If someone can give me directions we will try and check it out tomorrow.

If have a ga  road map or try find county map.
Look on mapquest.com  I put maps pics i got off from there.
They are 5 of them i pick out the best way you go into ga.
It's in echols county ga.

So try check that area out.

here's pics 1

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pic2  make sure you click on file to make image larger. :)

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pic3 I don't it's dry or not.Bescuase we had alot rain last night and all day yestday.

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pic4

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pic5

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hey remmy i remember the kirby mine project got shot down some time ago. did you hear anything new on this? that would be a great place to ride let. me know ps  welcome to the site

(bump)  :) 

please post back on here.Give us some pics
If the river bed is dry in ga.

Will take a look later on in the week.

Okay ;)

Here is a link to the Suwannee River Managements web page about the end of Alapaha river riding. Suwannee River management wrote this new law. 
http://www.srwmd.state.fl.us/features/news/atvs+banned+in+alapaha.htm

Let us know how looks into ga state line.If anybody that live
near alapaha river  bed in south ga or up near state line
please give us post on it.

You can get ga map free at welcome centers in ga.

thanks,
amhighlander 8)

I don't know how flooded the riverbed up in south ga south of statenville. :-\
 ::) But we had alot bad storms today and this evening with
tornado watch.I had stay in lake city for 4half hours today becuase
the weather got bad here in mcalpin at around 4pm.I had went
to go see moive at the c.90 in lake city for 2hours To wait out
the thunder storms.I know lighting was pretty bad and some roads were flooded.

 hello all i live in madison fl and also in panam city beach. we have a few places in madsion to go to mostly clay pitss but if any of yall ever wanna come join us in panam city we have alot of fun place like the intercoastal and countyline. yall let me know something ............ oh paul s u live in madison try going to the clay pitts on country kitchen road.. this is daniel barrs

 anybody heard anything lately?????

I went download the googleearth to put it on my parents pc and
it was working great.I do like terra sever better but they are older photos maps.At least googleearth gives you the 2005 update and you can see road signs on map. :)

Well i have posted two pics i got off the googlearth and you should go
check that area out in south ga.



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 :) pic2
And make sure you click on pic to make the image larger.

thanks,  ;)


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If someone makes it up there, please let us know.

 :) I was traveling on I75 today during 5pm this evening
i was heading out to ga to get gas and lottery ticket.
Well alapaha river on I75 i saw on right side
on north lane and it's fill up with water and flooded
I think it's about 10 or 15 feet deep.
I guess it washout  all posted signs along riverbed..

Well lets us know about alapaha river in ga
if it looks good to ride at or not, lets us know.
I send you maps on here
while back about  month ago on here.

Highlander, do you ever ride or do you even have a quad. Your always talking about seeing other people ride but never where you have actually ever rode. Get out and talk to all these people that you see.

I just wanna updated about alapaha river bed
when i was traveling into ga today.I only go by on I75 but i don't go
there alot becuase somtimes i don't have time to go there.
I go there to shop in valdosta once every 6months
or once in great while.But i don't owned quad yet
 i'm saving up one and trying get
one at end of 2006 or starting next year 2007.
I do have some atv riding friends down from street
from me and they only come on three day holiday weekends
each every month.
Sometimes they are here or not.
And they are from tampa.



But I should be on  road trip to
orlando to visting theme parks during may,and in few months
i'm going over by chipely fl area in panahandle to check out
farm land for sale at some good prices to
buy later on down road.I'm looking at 20 acres or 40acres or more,
In about 3years i should be moving over
there during that time.
I know land prices are getting higher here in mcalpin and live oak areas.
And some of land deals are bad prices here....


But I always love coming on this forum site to learn about atv world
and other news topics on here.I always love keep updated
on some of topics i like on here.  :)

Thanks,
amhighlander  8)

Uh, Peeps the Alapaha is like flooded an probaly for the next 6months at least. The water is raging an moving really quick. If you ever try to go north an ride the river in Ga, don't think about it. Cus, it drys from the south(fl) an floods from the north. It can rans pour the hell down in fl an it will never flood the river, but once it rains a lil in Ga soon there will be about a 1-4 wave of water starts running down the bed. Where is there a place to ride in Lake City or Madison fl?

We have a group that will be riding at the Osceola Nationl Forest on Sunday. We will meet up at te McDonalds on US Hwy 441 and Baya Ave. at 8am. then head out there if you want to meet up.

Hey guys,

Well my brother  goes on bus van to lake city
for going to work every mon - fridays 
and route is about 3hours long to pick up people
take them drop off  at places in lake city to worked.
But it's like 7$ hr he works at in lake city.But he goes
right on hwy 41 in morning hours and afternoon hours.
But doesn't stop right there..

But my brother told me he'll keep updated when
riverbed is dry and when it's aokay  to go.But
he will tell me if there any cops out when riverbed is  dry.



But me i go to ged class every mondays and fridays
at lake city comm college untilled i get home during late
evening hours.


(Alapaha river updated on us hwy 41)
Yestday my brother told me  it's flooded
and saw one jeep rider riding on side of road.
And didn't see any warning signs below bridge.)


I should be going to islands of adventure on 12march
next month in orlando before my old passes are use
up.And i'm going to disney world around apirl 06' and do some
cool rollcoaster rides.I haven't been to disney world for almost
since 1982.I guess it's about time to see some new stuff around here.




Thanks,
amhighlander  8)

I went to jasper today  and i as getting some
chicken birds today and i was looking classfields today.

Well I told my mom take me to the riverbed
to see if it's right place where my brother went at.
It's the place on 41 i make sure it's confirm right place it was right place.

I saw riverbed today and it's flooded out pretty bad and pretty deep
and i saw signs say:No parking On Right Way.
But I didn't see any signs of saying no atvs allow Riding  on riverbed.

Well didn't see any cops out there today.

My best bet go on sat or sunday early morning hours
thats very good time to ride.And  when big events happening on sats.
Plus the place i went today and it looks like pics you posted
on here while back when i was looking pics on old topic
back during last year during oct.

Well I think somebody should keep us updated on riverbed when drys out in
jasper and then just go to that place in south ga to see it if it's dry.

I think you guys should check eastern hamilton county
for strip mines  to ride at?

I don't know about that.


But I know why it's so close to town of jasper
and I75 and jasper is alot smaller town than live oak.
But my chances find places way out of in middle nowhere
and stay away from small towns and cityies nearby.So your chances
are better...


I know they are plenty places to ride here at house here,
Plus you have find right places to ride at.  :)


Thanks,
amhighlander  8)

IT IS ILLEGAL TO RIDE THE RIVERBED.

I don't know about that yet.

I haven't seen any signs on Bridge on 41 and I75
I haven't seen any post of  signs Saying: No Atvs Allow riding in riverbed .
If they really wanted ban atvs riding there they could put up signs(No Atvs Allow)

We need somebody go there to check it out
if the riding is clear or not.I bet somebody will find out
when  next time they go riding when river bed is dry.We will
find out on news or not...

I think newpaper reports lie over net.And I haven't seen
any local newsreports on about riding atvs Illegal in alapaha riverbed   on tallahadsee news stations and even in gainesville sun and Florida times union for last 4months so far. :-\

I know Small Towns like to cover up stuff
in newspapers history reports.I know how that is.

Maybe they didn't put signs up becuase
Maybe they are setting up trap there or someing.
Or if they really wanna be jerks about banned atvs riding at alapaha river bed they could put it on cnn or national tv to talk about it.Maybe thoses
cops like hanging around at that poker card place on I75
every night.Plus half time they might not be there half time.
I think they are wasting their tax money on bull crap like that.
But maybe  one day they will uban atvs riding there.

I always say:Everything Goes Up Everything goes down. :)

Did you read this. I also seen it on one of the states websites, Just do not remember which one it was on.

http://www.atvflorida.com/atvnews-121305.shtml

I did saw this web site while back the link you gave me.
I don't know why they should reported on news
stations to warn all riders out there?

Btw my brother went by there today and he
told me he saw one county cop out by on 41 even on route 6
this afternoon.I just wanna alert  you  about that.

Well i understand people need more riding areas
in the near future.But I understand riding areas are getting harder
to find and running out of lack. :-\

Thanks,
amhighlander  8)

amhighlander, I personally called the Sheriff's Office and it IS ILLEGAL to ride there.

We might  have  to try go out state
one day find some very good riding places in southern alabama
or southern Ga areas.Let me know if find some good riding areas
there.

Thanks, 8)

The river is now about 2 weeks from being completely dry. It is about 2' deep at the 41 bridge. I have tryed to get as much information about it being illegal to ride there as I can. My brother in law is the UnderSheriff in Hamilton County, so he is the second in charge at the Sheriff's office. He told me that the Swannee River Water Managment took over the river bed. They are the ones that made it illegal to ride there. The local sheriffs department was asked to enforce the rule. No signs have been posted so far. I was also told that the main reason for closing the river bed was becouse of complaints from local land owners concerning tresspassing and also campers leaving fires burning and leaving trash and beer bottles all in the river bed. One of them being a top notch lawyer in Hamilton County. People would not stay in the river bed. They keep going on private land. My father in law owns land on both sides of the river bed for about a mile. We all ride atvs from his land into the river. People would see our tracks and follow them up on his land. He was always afraid of someone getting hurt on his land and sueing him. I hate it that they closed the river bed for all. I really enjoyed meeting people down there. I did hate it during hunting season, when I would be sitting in my tree stand just to have 6 or 7 atvs come riding by on our land. My father in law told my brother in law that he has hunted and road atvs in the river bed all his life and that he dares Hamilton County Sheriff's Office to fine him for being there. I was told that locals will not be cited as long as they access the river bed from private land and not from the 41 bridge.

That was the best place in Florida to ride. We even camped in the riverbed and it was great. There was some trash around the 41 bed that people left. We even had some teenagers steal some gas from a can in our truck then throw the can in the bushes. We happen to get back to our trucks and on the way back we passed the guy with the can so we questioned him and he eventually went back and got our can. The can and gas actually belonged to Moose and Da_Mtg_Man. If people would just hang around and asked we probably would have been more then happy to help but don't steal suff. The thing is that there is a gas station 2 miles away that they could have went and got some themselves.

Amount of time people riding with you spend towing you around on that old Polaris, they maybe thought they were helping you by using the gas before it went bad.

WOOOO WEEEEE Yunt, that that there was pretyy darn funny!!!!!!!

YUNT got slammmmeeeeeeeeeddddddddd. Got some old gas for me too?  :D